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The Federal Bureaucracy and Policy Making

The Federal Bureaucracy and Policy Making. Overriding Questions…. How has the bureaucracy become the fourth branch of policymaking? How has the role of the bureaucracy changed over time? How does the President influence the bureaucracy?

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The Federal Bureaucracy and Policy Making

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  1. The Federal Bureaucracy and Policy Making

  2. Overriding Questions… • How has the bureaucracy become the fourth branch of policymaking? • How has the role of the bureaucracy changed over time? • How does the President influence the bureaucracy? • How does creating policy differ from implementing policy?

  3. Characteristics of the Bureauc… • Authority is shared with President, Congress and Judicial Branch • Pres.-appoints head of bureauc, and has removal power • Congress-appropriates $ and shapes guiding laws, investigates • Judicial-authorized the enlargement of the bureauc.

  4. The Name Game • The name department is reserved for agencies of the Cabinet rank. • Outside of department, there is little standardization of names throughout the agencies. • Common titles include agency, administration, commission, corporation, and authority.

  5. Federalism and the Bureauc. • Allows agencies to share their function with state and local gov’ts • Department of Ed. • Housing and Urban Development

  6. Appointments • Appointee has capacity to interpret laws, strengthen political parties • Ideology, character and party affiliation matter • Patronage to merit system

  7. Evolution of Bureaucracy-service to regulation • 1861-1901-new service agencies, Department of Ag. And Dept of Labor • Growth of regulatory agencies (Depression and WWII)

  8. The Impact of 9/11 • 9/11 attacks could also affect the bureaucracy as profoundly as WWII and the Depression • A new cabinet agency (Department of Homeland Security) was created • Intelligence-gathering activities were consolidated under a National Intelligence Director

  9. Merit vs. Patronage • Apply after they pass a test given by OPM (Office of Personnel and Management)

  10. Constraints of the Bureaucracy • Statutes or laws • Admin Procedure Act (1946)-hearing has to be held before new rule or policy • Freedom of Info Act-(1966)-documents open to the public • National Environmental Policy-(1966) issue impact statement before new standards • Privacy Act (1974)-gov’t files on individuals must be confidential • Congress disperses single duties among various agencies

  11. Pathologies… • Gov’t acts slowly • Inconsistency due to conflicting constraints (privacy vs. freedom of info.) • Easier to block than approve actions • Red tape-more constraints, more forms, more time • Duplication • Waste as the agencies expand • Imperialism: tendency of agencies to grow, irrespective of programs’ benefits and costs

  12. Iron Triangles vs. Issue Networks • Relationship between an agency, congressional committee, and an interest group • Veterans Affairs-House & Senate Committee on veterans affairs-veteran’s interest group (American Legion)

  13. Movement to Issue Networks • Decreased in time (subcommittees, growth of interest groups) • Rise of Issue Networks-consist of Washington based IGs, congressional staff, media • More complex than triangle

  14. Congressional Oversight • Approve all new agencies • Appropriations

  15. Reforming the Bureaucracy • National Performance Review (NPR) in 1993 designed to reinvent government calling for less centralized management, more employee initiatives, fewer detailed rules, and more customer satisfaction

  16. Setting the Agenda • The political agenda: deciding what to make policy about • The current political agenda includes taxes, energy, welfare, and civil rights • Shared beliefs determine what is legitimate for the government to do

  17. Majoritarian Politics • Example: Antitrust legislation in 1890s was vague with no specific enforcement agency • During the reform era, politicians and business leaders committed to a strong antitrust policy • Enforcement was determined primarily by the ideology and personal convictions of the current presidential administration

  18. Interest Group Politics • Organized interest groups are powerful when regulatory policies confer benefits on one organized group and costs on another equally organized group • Example: In 1935 labor unions sought government protection for their rights; business firms were in opposition

  19. Client Politics • “Agency capture” is likely when benefits are focused and costs are dispersed—an agency is created to serve a group’s needs • Example: National regulation of milk industry, sugar production, merchant shipping • The struggle to sustain benefits depends on insider politics

  20. Entrepreneurial Politics • Relies on entrepreneurs to galvanize public opinion and mobilize congressional support • Example: In the 1960s and 1970s a large number of consumer and environmental protection statutes passed (e.g., Clean Air Act, Toxic Substance Control Act)

  21. A Way of Classifying and Explaining the Politics of Different Policy Issues

  22. Kinds of Politics • Majoritarian politics: distributed benefits, distributed costs • Interest group politics: concentrated benefits, concentrated costs • Client politics: concentrated benefits, distributed costs • Entrepreneurial politics: distributed benefits, concentrated costs

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